


we'll begin again

by SmoshArrowverseFan



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 20:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18290045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoshArrowverseFan/pseuds/SmoshArrowverseFan
Summary: aj checks on everyone. he likes knowing they're safe.





	we'll begin again

**Author's Note:**

> honestly? i'm not sure what this is i just. wanted to put a couple of my headcanons out into the world in story form bc i haven't heard anyone mention them yet but. telling what they are would spoil the story (if u can't already guess where this is gonna go lol)

AJ’s standing in the middle of the school’s courtyard. It’s spring, and there’s a cool breeze brushing past him and the trees. He’s been helping Willy with a project, a new kind of walker trap with lots of spikes. Now, he's doing a new job he made for himself called checking. He goes around and makes sure everyone's okay. It’s been a few months since everything had happened with the Delta, and things are safer now, but it makes AJ feel better when he checks on everyone.

He passes Ruby and Aasim, who are holding hands. Ruby grins down at him.

“Hey, little guy. When you see Clem, tell her I need her help in the greenhouse. I could use some extra hands with the newest batch of tomatoes.”

AJ nods seriously. “Okay.”

Next, he checks on Omar. He’s cooking, as usual. It smells really good, and it's making this funny sizzling noise. AJ looks into the pot and frowns. “What’s that?”

Omar smiles gently. “It’s a surprise for Violet.”

“Yeah, but what is it?”

“They’re called chicken nuggets. She used to love them. When it was nugget day in the cafeteria, Vi was the first one in line. This surprise was Louis’s idea, actually. He got the ingredients by trading with some of the groups we've been talking to. I hope these nuggets hold together alright…” Omar turns back to his cooking. AJ smiles. He hopes Violet likes the chicken nuggets, but he’s still not sure what they are. He knows what a chicken is, and it looks nothing like what's in Omar's pot. That might be the nugget, though. He has no idea what a nugget is. He’ll have to ask Clem later.

AJ heads to the music room next, to see Louis. He smiles when he sees him at the piano.

They’d found a couple buckets of paint and things in storage while they were preparing for the raiders, and once the dust had settled, they’d gotten together and painted all sorts of things around the school. Louis’s piano was one of them, now covered in little flowers, music notes, and a Clementine. Louis was responsible for that one, much to Clem’s annoyance. It was a happy memory.

Louis is currently seated at his piano, playing happily. He grins widely when he catches sight of AJ, swinging one leg over the bench to face the younger boy. AJ grins.

“Hey, Louis.”

Louis waves. “Hey, little dude. What brings you to my cozy little corner?”

“I’m doing my checking that everybody’s okay.”

Louis smiles. “Well, I’m more than okay, buddy. You want a turn on the keys?” It’s a tempting offer. AJ almost ends up taking him up on it, before shaking his head.

“No. I have to finish my checking," AJ says. "Maybe later though.”

Louis laughs. “Alright, come by anytime. I’ll be here. And if I’m not, I’ll be within hollering distance.”

“Okay. See you, Louis,” AJ says, before leaving the music room. As he leaves the building, he can hear Louis singing faintly.

He has such a nice voice.

When he comes back outside, there’s a big red truck parked in the middle of the courtyard. AJ frowns. How did it get in? He walks over to it to get a better look, but before he’s reached it, the passenger door swings open and Brody steps out. AJ frowns. That isn’t right.

From the other side comes Marlon. That definitely isn’t right. Mitch climbs out of the bed of the truck. Immediately, Willy runs up to him and envelops him in a big hug. Mitch stumbles back, and AJ watches. Brody grins.

“We’re back!” She calls, and Ruby, Aasim, and Omar hurry over. Ruby speaks first.

“How was the road trip?”

“Weren’t you guys-“

Marlon grins. “It was great. We hit the beach, saw a baseball game, and Brody dragged us to this Civil War memorial that was actually pretty cool.”

“Marlon, I know I killed-“

Mitch speaks up, still hugging Willy. “I gotta say, my favorite part was when we bunked in that huge cabin. We found this CD player, but the only music was dumb holiday music and a Beatles album. We spent the whole damn night dancing.”

Marlon wiggles his eyebrows. “Oh, that wasn’t the only thing that happened that night. Or are you forgetting all the kissing parts?” He winks, and Brody hits his arm. Her face flushes red red.

“Marlon!”

“You guys are de-“

Ruby raises an eyebrow. “Are y’all…?”

Mitch looks the slightest bit flustered, which is an unusual look for him, but nods. “Yeah, we are.”

“Where’s everyone else? I missed them,” Brody says. Willy grins.

“We missed you guys too.”

Aasim shifts. “Louis is in the music room, Vi and Clem are up on the bell tower, and-”

AJ has had enough of them ignoring him. He raises his voice. “You guys are dead! You didn’t go on a road trip! Marlon killed Brody, then I killed Marlon, and Lilly killed Mitch! And Clem can’t be up in the bell tower because she can’t climb it, and Louis can’t sing because they cut his tongue out and none of this is real!”

Finally, the group looks at him, and suddenly he can see a bloody gash on Brody’s forehead, a bullet hole in Marlon’s head, two stab wounds dripping blood from Mitch onto Willy’s head. They’re unmoving and silent. AJ feels someone tap on his shoulder and turns around.

“Do you want to color with me?”

AJ stares. “Tenn...” He says finally. Tenn smiles faintly.

“Hey, AJ.”

AJ swallows hard. “You’re not real either.”

Tenn shakes his head. “No.”

AJ feels tears threatening to pour over, but he doesn’t cry anymore. It’s a rule, and he made it himself. “I’m sorry, Tenn.”

Tenn smiles sadly. “It’s okay.”

AJ shakes his head, feeling a flash of hot anger. “No! It’s not okay! You were my first real friend, and even if Violet was gonna die if I didn’t do it, I could’ve found another way. I could’ve saved both of you!”

“Everything was happening so fast, AJ. You did what you thought was the right thing.”

“No. I don’t… I don’t think there was a right thing. Not that time.”

Tenn considers this. “I think you’re probably right. It was a bad situation.”

AJ swallows hard. “I miss you, Tenn. We all do.”

“I miss you guys too. You and Violet, especially. How is she doing?” Tenn asks. AJ smiles.

“She’s doing better. She was really sad, after you died. Clem told me it was probably, uh... survivor’s guild.”

“Guilt.”

AJ nods. “Right, that. She thought she should have died instead of you. She’s still like that, a little. But we’re all helping each other, now. It's why I do checking, and help Willy with traps and Violet with hunting, and Clem with walking...”

Tenn smiles. “That’s good. I’m glad you guys are happy. You deserve it.”

“Yeah, I'm glad too. But you deserve it too. I wish you were here, Tenn.”

“I am here.”

AJ shakes his head. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

“I do,” Tenn says. “But… I will be here if you need me. If you want to talk, or draw. I know it’s not the same thing, but… it helps.”

“That’s what Clem says. She dreams about Lee still.”

“I used to dream about Sophie and Minnie. Not a lot, because I didn't remember my dreams much, but when I did, it was about them.”

They’re both silent for a moment.

“Tenn?”

“Yeah?”

“You may not have known things like I did, but… that’s not your fault. If you did, you would probably still be here, but I think… I think not knowing things made you special," AJ sighs. "I’m never gonna forget you.”

Tenn smiles. “I’ll never forget you, either, AJ.”

The scene fades away.

**Author's Note:**

> okay so:
> 
> i have been holding marbitch in my back pocket since ep 2. i just.... think they'd be Good okay and i really wanted to write them before someone else did sjlafjdkf even if this doesn't really qualify as writing About Them, they were THERE so HA
> 
> second, i think that in a tenn dies ending, aj would dream about tenn. he dreamed about marlon after he killed him, and those were nightmares, but i think due to tenn's nature any dreams about him would be more similar to clem's dreams about lee.
> 
> also i do totally think they'd paint little designs all over the school and shit, in places that were special to them. little constellations and knives and scenes and flowers and stuff.
> 
> and ALSO ALSO i think clem would work in the greenhouse a lot post-ending. it'd probably be hard for her to leave the school, but she'd want to be doing SOMETHING so. she'd work in the greenhouse
> 
> also i'm aware marlon would never say "kissing parts", but this is AJ's dream so. (i wanted to imply marbitch but i didn't want to imply that there was anything other than kissing going on because. they're kids lol)
> 
> i really don't think i did my ideas justice, but hey. i did em, at least! hope y'all enjoyed :)
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated


End file.
